Mexican chefs have created on Wednesday what they say is the world's biggest "torta" during an annual event celebrating the traditional sandwich.

Mexico makes a giant sandwich to kick off festival

Poland celebrated International Tiger Day on Monday with a number of educational events at zoos highlighting the importance of the conservation of the endangered animal.

Polish zoos celebrate International Tiger Day

Amateur divers plunged into a part of history on Sunday (July 28) as they jumped from Old Bridge in the Bosnian city of Mostar as part of a competition celebrating the Ottoman landmark.

Bosnian divers jump off historic bridge to celebrate 15th anniversary of reconstruction

Nine lions that were confiscated by Hungarian authorities from an illegal zoo near Budapest have been moved to a bear farm in Veresegyhaz.

Rescued lions taken to bear farm in Hungary

A gadget-filled car used in the James Bond movies Goldfinger and Thunderball will be auctioned in mid-August.

James Bond car with spy gadgets heads to auction

Hundreds of Gilroy residents have come to City Hall to light candles, comfort each other and show strength after Sunday night's shooting that killed three people, including two children, ages 6 and 13.

Vigil in Gilroy for festival shooting victims

Cambodian Ouk Vanday is on a mission to put the piles of discarded rubbish around his neighbourhood to good use. He has built a cafe using stacks of beer bottles to make up a wall, and dead leaves to spell out the coffee shop's name -- 'Rubbish Cafe'.

Inside a Cambodian cafe built out of rubbish

Peruvian Nobel laureate Mario Vargas Llosa was honoured at the 24th Lima International Book Fair on Thursday for his contribution to literature.

Nobel laureate opens Lima International Book Fair

Preparations are in full swing in Ranchi to host the International Yoga Day 2019. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will perform yoga with thousands of yoga enthusiast at Prabhat Tara Ground as part of the celebration on 21st June. Watch to know more about the special arrangements made for IYD 2019.

Special arrangements for 5th International Yoga Day in Ranchi, Jharkhand

Nenette, one of the oldest Borneo orangutans held in captivity celebrated her 50th birthday at a zoo in Paris, where she has lived almost all her life.

Orangutan painter celebrates 50th birthday

Shopping centers, street markets and high-end stores in Pakistan have been bustling with customers for the past few days in preparation for the Eid-el Fitr, a religious festival that marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Shops busy in Karachi ahead of Eid el Fitr

Barbadian singer Rihanna unveiled her new fashion brand with Louis Vuitton owner LVMH on Wednesday (may 22), a rare move by the French group to set up a label from scratch as it taps into soaring demand for celebrity collaborations in the luxury world.

Rihanna launches new fashion brand in Paris with LVMH

Lightly striking a steel needle, the 'tap-tap' sound echoing in the crisp mountain air, Cudjuy Patjidres, a traditional "hand-tapping" tattoo artist in Taiwan, said he is devoted to reviving an important culture of his ancestors.

Taiwanese hand-tapping tattooist tries to revive indigenous culture

<p>It is said that the key to finding happiness is by attaining a state where you learn how to balance the multi-faceted life -- where one necessity does not spill over and consume another. Where you don’t have to let go of your sleep to clock-in mandatory hours at work, or where life doesn’t just become a hallway between work and home.</p>

<p>Statistics show alarming findings on the 'happiness quotient' in people across the world. Some of most progressive countries are also those where people are clocking-in more than 40 hours a week.</p>

<p>India, on an average, has people working for an average 45 hours in a week, which roughly sums up to 8 hours, six days a week or 9 hours for five days in a week. According to the World Happiness Report released earlier this year, Indians aren’t the happiest in the world, on the contrary, the country stands at the 133rd spot out of 156 nations that were analysed for this year’s report.</p>

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<h5>Indians are the most vacation-deprived in the world with some going without taking a break for over a year.</h5>
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<p>It doesn’t stop at that, a new research shows that Indians are the most vacation-deprived in the world with some going without taking a break for over a year.</p>

<p>Expedia 2018 Vacation Deprivation Report&nbsp;suggests that around 75 per cent vacation deprived people in the world are Indians. Nearly half cited work as the primary reason for not being able to take a break.</p>

<p>The study was conducted across countries in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and South America.</p>

<p>Some of the important findings indicate that around 34 per cent Indians who were on a vacation were constantly in touch with their colleagues or checked their work emails at least once a day. Around 64 per cent decide the duration of their vacation on the basis of the impending workload after they resume work from a holiday.</p>

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<h5>64% Indians decide the duration of their vacation based on the impending workload after they resume work from a vacation.</h5>
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<p>South Korea closely follows India as the second most vacation deprived country with 72 per cent going without getting an adequate break from work. They also make the third top country in the world to be clocking-in highest working hours (2,069 in a year) only after Mexico and Costa Rica.</p>

<p>South Koreans are so marred by the manic pace of their lifestyle, that many are paying as much as $90 to self-confine themselves in mock prisons. For them, a day in a faux jail is the perfect escape.</p>

<p>A Reuters report carried the grim reality that many South Koreans face every day. For 28-year-old Park Hye-ri, the prison gave her a sense of freedom. She had paid $90 just to spend a day locked up in a mock prison.</p>

<p>“I was too busy. I shouldn’t be here right now, given the work I need to do. But I decided to pause and look back at myself for a better life,” Reuters quoted Park.</p>

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<h5>Unhappiness, dissatisfaction, prolonged work hours, shrinking personal space, lack of sleep and stress, all of it come together to give rise to broken relationships, depression, low-self esteem and lifestyle diseases.</h5>
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<p>The same is true of people across the world. The fear of failure or not achieving enough is becoming so great that most of us are just about ready to sacrifice what we thought we will never end up compromising on.</p>

<p>A perpetual sense of unhappiness, dissatisfaction, prolonged work hours, shrinking personal space, lack of sleep and stress, all of it come together to give rise to broken relationships, depression, low-self esteem and lifestyle diseases.</p>

<p>Today, we need smartphones to help us track the numbers of hours we sleep, the amount of water we drink and the number of steps we walk in a day. Competition has ruined personal equations to an extent that social isolation has become a trend and people take solace in having a smartphone app talk to them into getting some headspace and peace.&nbsp;</p>

<p>What could be more unfortunate than&nbsp;not being able to revel in the calmness of dawn or celebrate the array of hues that paint the sky during dusk every evening? While it pours outside, we sit confined in our cubicles, we go back home and listen to the unparalleled sounds of nature downloaded on our cellphone; nothing could be more unfortunate.&nbsp;</p>

<p>You may as well live to the fullest today, because in words of William Butler Yeats, “<em>Life is a long preparation for something that never happens</em>.”<br />
<br />
<br />
<em>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)</em></p>


It is said that the key to finding happiness is by attaining a state where you learn how to balance the multi-faceted life -- where one necessity does not spill over and consume another.

It is said that the key to finding happiness is by attaining a state where you learn how to balance the multi-faceted life -- where one necessity does not spill over and consume another. Where you don’t have to let go of your sleep to clock-in mandatory hours at work, or where life doesn’t just become a hallway between work and home. Statistics show alarming findings on the 'happiness quotient' in people across the world. Some of most progressive countries are also those where people are clocking-in more than 40 hours a week. India, on an average, has people working for an average 45 hours in a week, which roughly sums up to 8 hours, six days a week or 9 hours for five days in a week. According to the World Happiness Report released earlier this year, Indians aren’t the happiest in the world, on the contrary, the country stands at the 133rd spot out of 156 nations that were analysed for this year’s report. Indians are the most vacation-deprived in the world with some going without taking a break for over a year. × It doesn’t stop at that, a new research shows that Indians are the most vacation-deprived in the world with some going without taking a break for over a year. Expedia 2018 Vacation Deprivation Report suggests that around 75 per cent vacation deprived people in the world are Indians. Nearly half cited work as the primary reason for not being able to take a break. The study was conducted across countries in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and South America. Some of the important findings indicate that around 34 per cent Indians who were on a vacation were constantly in touch with their colleagues or checked their work emails at least once a day. Around 64 per cent decide the duration of their vacation on the basis of the impending workload after they resume work from a holiday. 64% Indians decide the duration of their vacation based on the impending workload after they resume work from a vacation. × South Korea closely follows India as the second most vacation deprived country with 72 per cent going without getting an adequate break from work. They also make the third top country in the world to be clocking-in highest working hours (2,069 in a year) only after Mexico and Costa Rica. South Koreans are so marred by the manic pace of their lifestyle, that many are paying as much as $90 to self-confine themselves in mock prisons. For them, a day in a faux jail is the perfect escape. A Reuters report carried the grim reality that many South Koreans face every day. For 28-year-old Park Hye-ri, the prison gave her a sense of freedom. She had paid $90 just to spend a day locked up in a mock prison. “I was too busy. I shouldn’t be here right now, given the work I need to do. But I decided to pause and look back at myself for a better life,” Reuters quoted Park. Unhappiness, dissatisfaction, prolonged work hours, shrinking personal space, lack of sleep and stress, all of it come together to give rise to broken relationships, depression, low-self esteem and lifestyle diseases. × The same is true of people across the world. The fear of failure or not achieving enough is becoming so great that most of us are just about ready to sacrifice what we thought we will never end up compromising on. A perpetual sense of unhappiness, dissatisfaction, prolonged work hours, shrinking personal space, lack of sleep and stress, all of it come together to give rise to broken relationships, depression, low-self esteem and lifestyle diseases. Today, we need smartphones to help us track the numbers of hours we sleep, the amount of water we drink and the number of steps we walk in a day. Competition has ruined personal equations to an extent that social isolation has become a trend and people take solace in having a smartphone app talk to them into getting some headspace and peace. What could be more unfortunate than not being able to revel in the calmness of dawn or celebrate the array of hues that paint the sky during dusk every evening? While it pours outside, we sit confined in our cubicles, we go back home and listen to the unparalleled sounds of nature downloaded on our cellphone; nothing could be more unfortunate. You may as well live to the fullest today, because in words of William Butler Yeats, “Life is a long preparation for something that never happens.” (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Not just better salaries, Indians need sleep, holidays... and a life

<p>“Human identity is no longer defined by what one does but what one owns,” this harrowing truth about our existence was pronounced by former US President Jimmy Carter in one of his public addresses almost four decades ago.</p>

<p>Humans are wired to get dissatisfied -- especially in a world fraught with distractions and things that offer speedier, quicker, faster results -- one tends to get bored easily. With so many options available, our hunger to own more expands exponentially. Unfortunately, at the core of this saddening reality, an ugly truth stares right back – more of us are intrinsically unhappy even while working in fancy multinationals, clad in couture and commuting by fanciest of cars.</p>

<p>This ever-growing sense of dissatisfaction seems to have an answer in a growing school of thought which, according to me, makes total sense. Now is the time to adopt ‘minimalism’ like never before.</p>

<p>Look around and all that the eye can meet is clutter. Our mind, on an average, produces as many as 70,000 thoughts in a day – most of it just fans unnecessary anxiety and stress. We have enough food but we want more, we have a comfortable house but we want a bigger one, another car and of course, the latest iPhone.</p>

<p>Matt D’Avella’s documentary on minimalism&nbsp;becomes a must watch for all of us as it introduces to the virtue of having less and why having less is more. The short film features a young duo, Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, who quit their six-figure, fancy jobs in the United States and packed their lives in just about two suitcases to live with as little as possible. The duo calls itself 'The Minimalists' and goes around the country talking about their book and the importance of embracing the movement that emphasises de-cluttering lives and embracing simplicity.</p>

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<h5>When our standard of living is improving by the day, why is that we still want more? Why are we so restless and why do we feel like not getting enough?</h5>
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<p>The documentary, 'Minimalism: A documentary about the important things,' raises a valid point – when our standard of living is improving by the day, why is that we still want more? Why are we so restless and why do we feel like not getting enough? All the flashy things that are out there, we don’t really need those things for survival; they have been marketed to us for years, to trick us into believing that we need those things.</p>

<p>What is the true meaning of being successful? Experts suggest that over decades the idea of the ‘Big American Dream’ has come around to have completely different connotations. America was once seen as a land of enormous opportunities for one and all. A nation where one starts at rock-bottom, work hard and do well. With time, the idea became more materialistic in nature – increasingly about getting a six-figure job, that is how success is measured today across the globe, sadly.&nbsp;</p>

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<h5>The concept of 'minimalism'&nbsp;rests in the fact that one should be able to justify the existence of things in life.</h5>
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<p>The concept of minimalism&nbsp;rests in the fact that one should be able to justify the existence of things in life. Ask yourself, does this item, commodity or even a relationship add any value to life? If the answer is in negative then, “I should be willing enough to part with it, to let it go,” Joshua notes in the documentary.</p>

<p>It is interesting to see how an art movement, essentially an American visual arts movement of the mid-twentieth century, gained prominence to actually inspire a movement with a potential to make our lives better and instil meaning and substance.</p>

<p>Minimalism&nbsp;can be applied to every aspect of life, think out loud to yourself – is your closet too cluttered, do you really need all those pairs of shoes or the latest version of that pricey smartphone? Do you have quality and meaningful relationships with anyone in the crowd that you call ‘friends’? Is your daily routine meaningful and adds value to your existence?</p>

<p>Always remember, we cannot be happy with having too little, having too much is never going to bring contentment, you and I seek that fine balance of having just about enough and maintaining that equilibrium for life -- that is minimalism, your key to happiness.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)</em></p>


“Human identity is no longer defined by what one does but what one owns,” this harrowing truth about our existence was pronounced by former US President Jimmy Carter in one of his public addresses almost four decades ago.

“Human identity is no longer defined by what one does but what one owns,” this harrowing truth about our existence was pronounced by former US President Jimmy Carter in one of his public addresses almost four decades ago. Humans are wired to get dissatisfied -- especially in a world fraught with distractions and things that offer speedier, quicker, faster results -- one tends to get bored easily. With so many options available, our hunger to own more expands exponentially. Unfortunately, at the core of this saddening reality, an ugly truth stares right back – more of us are intrinsically unhappy even while working in fancy multinationals, clad in couture and commuting by fanciest of cars. This ever-growing sense of dissatisfaction seems to have an answer in a growing school of thought which, according to me, makes total sense. Now is the time to adopt ‘minimalism’ like never before. Look around and all that the eye can meet is clutter. Our mind, on an average, produces as many as 70,000 thoughts in a day – most of it just fans unnecessary anxiety and stress. We have enough food but we want more, we have a comfortable house but we want a bigger one, another car and of course, the latest iPhone. Matt D’Avella’s documentary on minimalism becomes a must watch for all of us as it introduces to the virtue of having less and why having less is more. The short film features a young duo, Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, who quit their six-figure, fancy jobs in the United States and packed their lives in just about two suitcases to live with as little as possible. The duo calls itself 'The Minimalists' and goes around the country talking about their book and the importance of embracing the movement that emphasises de-cluttering lives and embracing simplicity. When our standard of living is improving by the day, why is that we still want more? Why are we so restless and why do we feel like not getting enough? × The documentary, 'Minimalism: A documentary about the important things,' raises a valid point – when our standard of living is improving by the day, why is that we still want more? Why are we so restless and why do we feel like not getting enough? All the flashy things that are out there, we don’t really need those things for survival; they have been marketed to us for years, to trick us into believing that we need those things. What is the true meaning of being successful? Experts suggest that over decades the idea of the ‘Big American Dream’ has come around to have completely different connotations. America was once seen as a land of enormous opportunities for one and all. A nation where one starts at rock-bottom, work hard and do well. With time, the idea became more materialistic in nature – increasingly about getting a six-figure job, that is how success is measured today across the globe, sadly. The concept of 'minimalism' rests in the fact that one should be able to justify the existence of things in life. × The concept of minimalism rests in the fact that one should be able to justify the existence of things in life. Ask yourself, does this item, commodity or even a relationship add any value to life? If the answer is in negative then, “I should be willing enough to part with it, to let it go,” Joshua notes in the documentary. It is interesting to see how an art movement, essentially an American visual arts movement of the mid-twentieth century, gained prominence to actually inspire a movement with a potential to make our lives better and instil meaning and substance. Minimalism can be applied to every aspect of life, think out loud to yourself – is your closet too cluttered, do you really need all those pairs of shoes or the latest version of that pricey smartphone? Do you have quality and meaningful relationships with anyone in the crowd that you call ‘friends’? Is your daily routine meaningful and adds value to your existence? Always remember, we cannot be happy with having too little, having too much is never going to bring contentment, you and I seek that fine balance of having just about enough and maintaining that equilibrium for life -- that is minimalism, your key to happiness. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Now is the time to embrace 'minimalism'; why having less is actually more

<p>Simple lifestyle changes can help stave off risks of lifestyle diseases including cancer, notes a study conducted by experts at the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute in Australia.</p>

<p>Although medical experts have still not been able to zero down the exact cause of cancer, lifestyle factors, genetic disposition and obesity have been termed as some of the most common perpetrators.&nbsp;</p>

<p>WHO estimated close to 8.8 million people to have died of cancer in the year 2015, the number is only escalating every year. Health experts note that minor dietary and lifestyle tweaks may go a long way in preventing us prey to cancer and cutting down its risk significantly.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In the study published in the International Journal of Cancer, experts found the modifiable factors were responsible for 41% of cancer deaths among Australian men and 34% of cancer deaths in women.</p>

<p>&ldquo;By far the biggest preventable cause of cancer deaths in Australia is tobacco smoke. Cancer caused by smoking and passive smoking killed 9,921 people in 2013 and accounted for 23% of all cancer deaths,&rdquo; said Professor David Whiteman, head of QIMR Berghofer&rsquo;s Cancer Control Group.</p>

<p>&ldquo;Other major factors included poor diet, being overweight or obese, and infections, which each caused about five per cent of all cancer deaths in 2013,&rdquo; said Whiteman. &ldquo;Poor diet was responsible for 2,329 deaths from cancer, being overweight or obese for 1,990 deaths, and infections for 1,981 deaths,&rdquo; he said.</p>

<p>Close to 17,000 cancer deaths can be avoided annually only if people follow accepted guidelines to minimise exposure to risk factors, noted the study.</p>

<p>Ideally, it is imperative to maintain a healthy weight, ditch processed and refine food items, quit smoking and limit alcohol and red meat consumption.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Regular physical activity is also essential along with proper sleep and stress management.</p>

<p>Experts have now started focussing on the trend of prolonged sitting which was also termed as a &#39;new type of cancer&#39;&nbsp;by Apple CEO Tim Cook. Prolonged sitting has also been linked to triggering a host of ailments.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from PTI)</em></p>


WHO estimated close to 8.8 million people to have died of cancer in the year 2015

Simple lifestyle changes can help stave off risks of lifestyle diseases including cancer, notes a study conducted by experts at the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute in Australia. Although medical experts have still not been able to zero down the exact cause of cancer, lifestyle factors, genetic disposition and obesity have been termed as some of the most common perpetrators. WHO estimated close to 8.8 million people to have died of cancer in the year 2015, the number is only escalating every year. Health experts note that minor dietary and lifestyle tweaks may go a long way in preventing us prey to cancer and cutting down its risk significantly. In the study published in the International Journal of Cancer, experts found the modifiable factors were responsible for 41% of cancer deaths among Australian men and 34% of cancer deaths in women. “By far the biggest preventable cause of cancer deaths in Australia is tobacco smoke. Cancer caused by smoking and passive smoking killed 9,921 people in 2013 and accounted for 23% of all cancer deaths,” said Professor David Whiteman, head of QIMR Berghofer’s Cancer Control Group. “Other major factors included poor diet, being overweight or obese, and infections, which each caused about five per cent of all cancer deaths in 2013,” said Whiteman. “Poor diet was responsible for 2,329 deaths from cancer, being overweight or obese for 1,990 deaths, and infections for 1,981 deaths,” he said. Close to 17,000 cancer deaths can be avoided annually only if people follow accepted guidelines to minimise exposure to risk factors, noted the study. Ideally, it is imperative to maintain a healthy weight, ditch processed and refine food items, quit smoking and limit alcohol and red meat consumption. Regular physical activity is also essential along with proper sleep and stress management. Experts have now started focussing on the trend of prolonged sitting which was also termed as a 'new type of cancer' by Apple CEO Tim Cook. Prolonged sitting has also been linked to triggering a host of ailments. (With inputs from PTI)

Close to 40% cancer deaths can be prevented by simple lifestyle changes, say experts

Is stripping down and getting sweaty with strangers your kind of thing? In Finland, despite an astounding two million private saunas, the hottest trend sweeping the sweat-tank loving country is public saunas.<br />
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They&#39;re Helsinki&#39;s coolest spots this summer, drawing Finns and tourists of all ages to unwind on wooden benches in slick waterfront locales where the mercury hits at least 80 degrees Celsius.<br />
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A trendy new boutique sauna called Loyly (Finnish for &quot;Steam&quot;) opened its doors on the capital&#39;s shoreline in May and was such an instant hit that an online reservation is a must on sunny days.<br />
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On a recent visit, a group of men and women who went to university together celebrated Linnea Remes&#39; 27th birthday by having a sauna, a normal thing for friends in Finland where saunas are an integral part of daily life and all major celebrations year-round.<br />
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Remes has a sauna at home up to four times a week, so her birthday choice was not for want of a good sweat.<br />
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&quot;We thought that this was a fun way to pass time together and enjoy ourselves,&quot; Remes told AFP on the seaside terrace where the group cooled off before another round in the hotbox.<br />
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<strong>Finnish sanctuary</strong><br />
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While Finns strip down to their birthday suits in their private saunas, the public ones either offer different rooms for men and women, or require swimsuits in unisex saunas.<br />
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The sauna can be a moment to de-stress or a complement to a good workout. A couple of rounds is typical, with a cool shower and maybe a drink in between, or preferably a dip into a lake or the sea. In winter, a roll in the snow is even better<br />
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But saunas have been used for bigger goals: sealing business deals and even serious diplomacy. During the Cold War, Urho Kekkonen, who served as president for 26 years, negotiated with Soviet diplomats in the sauna of his official residence.&nbsp;It is precisely the social aspect of a public sauna that explains its country-wide renaissance.
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<h5>Many people live alone nowadays but yearn for that sense of community and common experience. A sauna is the best for that, an intimate place where you can exchange ideas with whomever happens to sit next to you,&quot; said Raoul Grunstein.<i class="fa fa-share"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Many people live alone nowadays but yearn for that sense of community and common experience. A sauna is the best for that, an intimate place where you can exchange ideas with whomever happens to sit next to you,&quot; said Raoul Grunstein." target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></i></h5>
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Over the centuries Finns used saunas for washing, relaxing and even giving birth. But the modern luxury of running water in virtually all residences spelt the demise of the popular old public sauna as people started installing their own private hot rooms.<br />
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Nowadays most houses and new apartments in Finland come with a private sauna. Statistics Finland estimates there are more than two million saunas for a nation of 5.5 million people.<br />
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At the same time, one in five Finns today lives on their own.<br />
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<strong>Common experience</strong><br />
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&quot;Many people live alone nowadays but yearn for that sense of community and common experience. A sauna is the best for that, an intimate place where you can exchange ideas with whomever happens to sit next to you,&quot; said Raoul Grunstein, head of Allas Sea Pool, another new public sauna and spa set to open this month.<br />
<br />
Grunstein has such faith in the appeal of public saunas that he and his partners invested $11 million in the spa, which has three saunas and three pools floating in the sea right on Helsinki&#39;s main market square opposite the presidential palace.<br />
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Like Loyly, the facility boasts striking Nordic design and architecture.<br />
<br />
Loyly&#39;s owners, lawmaker Antero Vartia and actor Jasper Paakkonen, known to international audiences for his role in the Irish-Canadian TV series Vikings, spent big, investing $6.9 million in a cubic design that holds three traditional wood-heated saunas, one of them a chimneyless smoke sauna.<br />
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&quot;The city&#39;s tourism authorities have told us they believe this will shortly become one of Helsinki&#39;s top three attractions,&quot; Paakkonen said.<br />
<br />
At Loyly&#39;s, Priya Selvaraj, a 42-year-old professor visiting from Chennai, India, marvelled at the experience, including a courageous post-sauna dip into the Baltic Sea, where water was a downright chilly 11 degrees Celsius.&quot;I have taken sauna treatments back home in the southern part of India and it&#39;s not new to us,&quot; she said, &quot;but to have a country or a city where it&#39;s thriving on spas!&quot;<br />
<br />
<strong>Burgers and saunas</strong><br />
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The sauna&#39;s appeal is so strong in Finland that even the US-based fastfood chain Burger King wants its Finnish shops to partake: it recently opened a sauna at one of its Helsinki restaurants, available for groups upon reservation.<br />
<br />
The revival of public saunas goes back to 2011 when a few Helsinkians built Sompasauna, an unlicensed sauna made of waste materials in the middle of an old harbour-turned-construction site.<br />
<br />
The city&#39;s first reaction was to tear it down.&nbsp;But the free-of-charge, mixed and nude sauna appealed to many and its fans have rebuilt the small shack every spring.&nbsp;This year the city honoured it as Helsinki&#39;s &quot;cultural act&quot; of the year.<br />
<br />
(AFP)

'We thought that this was a fun way to pass time together,' said Linnea Remes, who celebrated her 27th birthday in a sauna with friends

Is stripping down and getting sweaty with strangers your kind of thing? In Finland, despite an astounding two million private saunas, the hottest trend sweeping the sweat-tank loving country is public saunas. They're Helsinki's coolest spots this summer, drawing Finns and tourists of all ages to unwind on wooden benches in slick waterfront locales where the mercury hits at least 80 degrees Celsius. A trendy new boutique sauna called Loyly (Finnish for "Steam") opened its doors on the capital's shoreline in May and was such an instant hit that an online reservation is a must on sunny days. On a recent visit, a group of men and women who went to university together celebrated Linnea Remes' 27th birthday by having a sauna, a normal thing for friends in Finland where saunas are an integral part of daily life and all major celebrations year-round. Remes has a sauna at home up to four times a week, so her birthday choice was not for want of a good sweat. "We thought that this was a fun way to pass time together and enjoy ourselves," Remes told AFP on the seaside terrace where the group cooled off before another round in the hotbox. Finnish sanctuary While Finns strip down to their birthday suits in their private saunas, the public ones either offer different rooms for men and women, or require swimsuits in unisex saunas. The sauna can be a moment to de-stress or a complement to a good workout. A couple of rounds is typical, with a cool shower and maybe a drink in between, or preferably a dip into a lake or the sea. In winter, a roll in the snow is even better But saunas have been used for bigger goals: sealing business deals and even serious diplomacy. During the Cold War, Urho Kekkonen, who served as president for 26 years, negotiated with Soviet diplomats in the sauna of his official residence. It is precisely the social aspect of a public sauna that explains its country-wide renaissance. Many people live alone nowadays but yearn for that sense of community and common experience. A sauna is the best for that, an intimate place where you can exchange ideas with whomever happens to sit next to you," said Raoul Grunstein. Over the centuries Finns used saunas for washing, relaxing and even giving birth. But the modern luxury of running water in virtually all residences spelt the demise of the popular old public sauna as people started installing their own private hot rooms. Nowadays most houses and new apartments in Finland come with a private sauna. Statistics Finland estimates there are more than two million saunas for a nation of 5.5 million people. At the same time, one in five Finns today lives on their own. Common experience "Many people live alone nowadays but yearn for that sense of community and common experience. A sauna is the best for that, an intimate place where you can exchange ideas with whomever happens to sit next to you," said Raoul Grunstein, head of Allas Sea Pool, another new public sauna and spa set to open this month. Grunstein has such faith in the appeal of public saunas that he and his partners invested $11 million in the spa, which has three saunas and three pools floating in the sea right on Helsinki's main market square opposite the presidential palace. Like Loyly, the facility boasts striking Nordic design and architecture. Loyly's owners, lawmaker Antero Vartia and actor Jasper Paakkonen, known to international audiences for his role in the Irish-Canadian TV series Vikings, spent big, investing $6.9 million in a cubic design that holds three traditional wood-heated saunas, one of them a chimneyless smoke sauna. "The city's tourism authorities have told us they believe this will shortly become one of Helsinki's top three attractions," Paakkonen said. At Loyly's, Priya Selvaraj, a 42-year-old professor visiting from Chennai, India, marvelled at the experience, including a courageous post-sauna dip into the Baltic Sea, where water was a downright chilly 11 degrees Celsius."I have taken sauna treatments back home in the southern part of India and it's not new to us," she said, "but to have a country or a city where it's thriving on spas!" Burgers and saunas The sauna's appeal is so strong in Finland that even the US-based fastfood chain Burger King wants its Finnish shops to partake: it recently opened a sauna at one of its Helsinki restaurants, available for groups upon reservation. The revival of public saunas goes back to 2011 when a few Helsinkians built Sompasauna, an unlicensed sauna made of waste materials in the middle of an old harbour-turned-construction site. The city's first reaction was to tear it down. But the free-of-charge, mixed and nude sauna appealed to many and its fans have rebuilt the small shack every spring. This year the city honoured it as Helsinki's "cultural act" of the year. (AFP)

Get sweaty with strangers in Finland's public saunas

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